UP 844 Steams up for Cheyenne Frontier Days 2013

Union Pacific No. 844, “Centennial” No. 6936 to lead Frontier Days special

Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 844 and “Centennial” DDA40X No. 6936 will pull July specials for the “Denver Post Cheyenne Frontier Days” and a fundraising special for the Cheyenne Depot Museum.

UP 844 and 3936 posing while being serviced after arriving from Denver. July 24, 2010 Photo by Kevin Andrusia

No. 844 will lead the Cheyenne Frontier Days 2103 special from Denver to Cheyenne and return on July 20 along with No. 6936. The diesel is one of 47 built by EMD for Union Pacific, with the “Centennial” nickname selected to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike on May 10, 1869. The locomotives were numbered in the 6900 series to mark the “1969” date.

In order to get in position to pull this year’s Frontier Days train, No. 844 will move to Denver from its base in Cheyenne on July 18. The 22nd annual Frontier Days Special will make a round trip on July 20, between Denver and Cheyenne.

Special trains have carried passengers to Frontier Days activities as far back as 1908. The trains for invited guests operated each year until 1970, except during World War II. In 1992, the Frontier Days special train was resumed as a public event. This year’s 20-car passenger train is already sold out.

Tickets are still available for the July 21 public excursion special sponsored by the Cheyenne Depot Museum and will be pulled by No. 844 from Denver to Cheyenne. Proceeds will go to the museum. Ticket information can be found on the Cheyenne Depot Museum website at www.cheyennedepotmuseum.org under “Train Excursion.”

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